How do you showcase your game design skills in a short and engaging prototype?

1 Choose a clear goal

Before you start prototyping, you need to have a clear goal for your prototype. What are you trying to achieve with it? What are the core features or mechanics that you want to test or showcase? How do you measure the success or feedback of your prototype? Having a clear goal will help you focus on the most important aspects of your game design and avoid wasting time and resources on unnecessary details or features.

2 Scope your prototype

Once you have a clear goal, you need to scope your prototype accordingly. Scoping means defining the boundaries and limitations of your prototype, such as the duration, the platform, the genre, the target audience, the art style, the sound effects, and so on. Scoping your prototype will help you prioritize the essential elements of your game design and avoid scope creep or feature creep, which can derail your project and compromise your quality.

3 Use existing tools and assets

One of the best ways to save time and money when prototyping is to use existing tools and assets that are available for free or for a low cost. There are many game engines, frameworks, libraries, editors, and asset stores that you can use to create your prototype without having to code or create everything from scratch. Using existing tools and assets will also help you focus on your game design rather than the technical aspects of your prototype.

4 Iterate and test

Prototyping is an iterative process that involves testing and refining your game design based on feedback and data. You should test your prototype as early and as often as possible, both by yourself and by others. Testing your prototype will help you identify and fix any bugs, errors, or issues that might affect your game design or user experience. It will also help you validate or invalidate your assumptions and hypotheses about your game design and make improvements based on feedback.

5 Polish and present

The final step of prototyping is to polish and present your prototype to your intended audience or stakeholders. Polishing means adding some finishing touches to your prototype, such as improving the graphics, sound, UI, or performance. Presenting means preparing a pitch or a demo that showcases your game design skills and explains the purpose and value of your prototype. Polishing and presenting your prototype will help you impress and persuade your audience or stakeholders and achieve your goal.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?